1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing method and system which simplifies digital prints and improves efficiency of printing without lowering print quality. The present invention relates also to a film scanner for use in the printing system.
2. Background Arts
In the present photo-printing system, the photographer or user is required to go to a retail D.P.E. (Develop, Print and Enlarge) agent in order to have the exposed photo film developed and printed at a photo-finisher. Thereafter, the user has to go to the retail D.P.E. agent again on or after a designated delivery date to receive the finished prints and developed photo film. Accordingly, the user has to go to the D.P.E. agent twice at every print order.
If the user does not wish to print all picture frames on the filmstrip, but wishes to check and designate some picture frames to print with reference to the developed filmstrip, the user must go to the D.P.E. agent more than twice. However, printing qualified picture frames only is economically preferable.
Meanwhile, digital printing is getting popular these days, as personal computers, digital cameras, image scanners and other high-tech digital imaging devices are getting widely used. Digital prints are made by processing image data on the personal computer and printing out hard copies through a personal-use printer of ink jet type or thermal type. The personal-use printer is not able to provide high print quality in comparison with professional printers. In addition, since the price of the personal-use printer is not so reasonable, the conventional digital print system turns out to be costly for most users.
In view of the foregoing, a prime object of the present invention is to provide a printing method and a printing system therefor, through which the user can order and receive high quality digital prints with ease at a low cost.
To achieve the above objects, a printing method of the present invention is comprised of: picking up digital image data from picture frames photographed on photo film; displaying video images of the picture frames based on the image data; designating picture frames to print with reference to the video images; assigning a print size to each of the designated picture frames; compressing the image data of each of the designated picture frames at a rate that is decided according to the print size, such that the higher compression rate is used for the smaller print size; and transferring the compressed image data and the print order data to a photofinisher through a data communication device, for making prints based on the transferred image data and print order data.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the image data is picked up from each of the designated picture frames at a resolution that is decided according to the print size, such that the higher resolution is used for the larger print size.
A printing system of the present invention is comprised of an imaging device for picking up digital image data from picture frames photographed on photo film; a data entry device for designating picture frames to print and entering print order data to each of the designated picture frames, print order data including a print size of each of the designated picture frames; a data processing device for processing the image data, the data processing device compressing the image data of each of the designated picture frames at a rate that is decided according to the print size; a data communication device for transferring the compressed image data and the print order data to a work station of a photofinisher; and a digital printer for making prints based on the transferred image data and print order data under the control of the work station.
According to a preferred embodiment, the imaging device picks up the image data from each of the designated picture frames at a resolution that is decided according to the print size.